My new film in progress

Well everyone, I thought I needed to post what I have been doing lately.

I am still working on the co-op film that I started last January with several other animators. Several people helped write the script, then Emmyymme (Emily) and Woolly Monster (Ceri) made puppets and props and mailed them to me. I have been animating with them for the last several months. There is still a few more months left before the film is complete. More on that later.

But while I am animating on that film I am getting the ideas together for my next film.

It started with the idea of making a King’s throne room or great hall and all the props that went with it. Then I added the idea of the castle’s gardener being involved. So I took a notebook and wrote down the 20 basic plot themes one on each page, then I tried to come up with story ideas in each theme that could be set in the throne room. My wife and I eliminated some, then picked one we liked.

So, the basic story is based on the “escape” theme.

King, knights, and the cook and the gardener are in the throne room doing their normal daily activities when creatures attack and capture everyone. In the end the gardener will save the day.

So now I have begun storyboarding which for me just means making a ton of notes in a notebook. I am now acting out the scenes on paper to see if the props and the staging will work.

I have begun some props including some wood items turned on the lathe and a chainmail shirt for one of the knights. For the chainmail I found some 5 mm jumprings at a jewelry supply place and I am opening/closing each one to form the chainmail shirt. The shirt itself has taken three days so far and still not done.

I will get some pictures in here of the co-op film and of the new idea stuff.